As is known, in the sector of 3D graphic simulation for controlling displacement of vehicles within a real environment represented by a three-dimensional virtual graphic space, there exists the need of being able to observe and monitor the events and situations that occur within the three-dimensional virtual space in the course of simulation.
For this purpose, electronic display apparatuses have been developed, which interact with a virtual electronic simulation system in such a way as to enable an operator to view, through a virtual video camera, the scenario in which the virtual simulation occurs and at the same time control displacement of the virtual video camera itself within the three-dimensional virtual space so as to be able to observe, for example, the objects involved in the simulation from any point present within three-dimensional space and/or according to any angle of view.
Some of the display apparatuses of the type described above, typically referred to by the term “stealth-view devices” or “tactical-situation displays”, find application, for example, in flight-simulation systems for aircraft used for training pilots.
In particular, the aforesaid display apparatuses typically comprise a display and a computer that is configured for interacting with the electronic simulation system so as to represent through the display the three-dimensional scenario that represents the simulated flight of the aircraft controlled by the pilot.
Display apparatuses further comprise a manual-control system, which is, in turn, provided with a mouse and a keyboard for issuing commands, through which an operator is able to “navigate” within the three-dimensional scenario and at the same time move the virtual video camera, in such a way as to be able to display the aircraft and/or the environment that surrounds the aircraft itself according to any spatial angle.
It is moreover known that, in the course of the aforesaid simulation, the operator, who is typically a flight instructor, must necessarily control, through the aforesaid manual-control system, navigation in the virtual three-dimensional environment in such a way as to be able to observe and control, instant by instant, the correctness of the command operations imparted to the aircraft by the pilot.
In the systems described above, there exists the need on the part of the instructor to be able to control manually with a certain rapidity his own navigation in the three-dimensional space so as to track the aircraft easily along the corresponding path, keeping the virtual video camera constantly pointed on certain parts of the aircraft, such as for example the front or the rear, irrespective of the displacement of the aircraft itself.
In other words, it is necessary for the instructor to be able to impart in an extremely simple, fast and intuitive way commands for translating the virtual video camera in such a way as to track the aircraft and at the same time impart commands for rotating the virtual video camera in space in such a way as to keep pointing of the latter on some pre-set parts of the aircraft itself.
For this purpose, numerous efforts have been made on the part of firms producing flight-simulation systems for developing display systems provided with systems for issuing commands structured for simplifying and rendering extremely fast and intuitive for the operator execution of manual commands for control of translation and rotation of the virtual video camera in the three-dimensional simulation space, but there still remains much to be done.
US2004/001110 describes a navigation system oriented to displaying an object in a three-dimensional space. The system envisages translation of the virtual camera on the basis of a movement of translation of the mouse and of orienting the camera through a calculation of the normal surface that is closest to the camera.
US2008/094358 describes a navigation system oriented to an object provided with two distinct systems for issuing commands of movement of the virtual video camera, one of which carries out a check on the two-dimensional movement and envisages the use of a mouse, whilst the other system is designed to implement a control of the three-dimensional movement and envisages the use of motion controllers and a handle.
US2004/085335 describes a navigation system in which the movement of the virtual video camera is constrained to a pre-set path by the creator of the contents to be displayed.